


A Certain Romance

by corgasbord



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Domestic, Fluff, M/M, really petty arguments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-05 23:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12199161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corgasbord/pseuds/corgasbord
Summary: Kaito, Shuuichi, and Kokichi share an apartment, a bed, and almost everything else. It's only natural that they would have their fair share of disputes.





	A Certain Romance

**Author's Note:**

> i've been super busy but i've been wanting to write this ot3 of mine for a while, so... i caved and ended up writing this, sort of as a way to celebrate the western release date! big shoutout to my pals idaate, grayimperia, and fatiguedfern for dragging me into the saioumota pit with them, it's a good place to be
> 
> ([tumblr](http://corgiboard.tumblr.com/post/165779009360/a-certain-romance) link!)

Kaito enters the kitchen and the atmosphere shifts in his wake. Kokichi and Shuuichi look up from the dining table in unison, and Shuuichi abruptly halts whatever he was saying mid-sentence. Tense silence reigns for several moments before Shuuichi manages to stammer out a “Good morn- er. Afternoon.”

Kaito responds with a halfhearted grunt and begins rummaging through the cabinets for something to eat. He brings with him a cloud of static, not unlike the sort that hangs in the air during a storm, the sort that sets everyone in the area on edge in anticipation of the inevitable thunderclap. It makes Shuuichi’s shoulders stiffen and his fingers tighten around his cup of coffee, but Kokichi flashes Kaito a saccharine smile.

“Sleep well, Kai-chan? You sure took your time getting up.” 

Kaito scowls. “Fuck off.”

“Oooh, someone’s grumpy!” Kokichi chimes.  

Kaito pulls a box of cereal out of one cabinet and tears it open with just a little more force than necessary. Instead of replying, he digs out a fistful of cereal and crams it into his mouth.

“Hey, hey, why the cold shoulder?” Kokichi asks. “I know it’s rude to talk with your mouth full, but it kinda feels like you’re ignoring me, for some reason!”

Shuuichi speaks up, lips drooping into a stern frown. “Kokichi…”

“Don’t you think Kai-chan’s being mean, Shuuichi? He won’t even look at me. That’s so cold!”

Kaito does look over at the table then, but there are volatile sparks in his eyes that clash with the mischievous determination contained in Kokichi’s. The room goes quiet again, but Kaito swears he can hear the air crackle as they hold each other’s stares.

Shuuichi must feel it, too, because after what could be seconds or minutes the clatter of a chair being pushed back breaks the spell. “I- I have to go get ready to go back to work,” he says, and gulps down the last of his coffee on his way to deposit the mug in the sink.

He leaves the room in a hurry, and Kaito and Kokichi both follow him with their eyes before locking them back on one another. Kaito takes another terse bite of dry cereal, and Kokichi smirks.

“Y’know,” Kokichi says, “I get the sense that Shuuichi didn’t sleep too good last night. Almost like something - or someone - was keeping him awake.”

Kaito swallows and finally speaks, wiping crumbs from the corners of his mouth. “Yeah? Wonder why that is.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You’re a bad liar, Kai-chan.”

“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Kaito insists. “And I thought I told you to quit fuckin’ calling me that.”

“Calling you what, Kai-chan?”

“Yeah, knock that shit off. It ain’t nearly as cute as you think it is.”

“Hmm. That’s funny, because for a while you didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it,” Kokichi observes, leaning back in his chair until the wood creaks faintly. Kaito hopes he falls. “What changed, hm?”

Kaito nearly crushes the next handful of cereal that he grabs. “You know damn well what you did, you little fucker.”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.” Kokichi tilts his head and taps his chin. “I mean, I’m sure it can’t be about that silly plant that I accidentally killed. I figured that even you would be grown up enough to forget aaaall about that by now!”

Kaito grits his teeth. “You know what, fuck you,” he spits around a mouthful of half-chewed Frosted Flakes. “I don’t need this shit right now.” He shoves the box back into its place and turns to leave.

“You’re not really gonna go bitch to Shuuichi about me, are you?” Kokichi calls after him. “I already apologized and everything, so you know what he’s going to say.”

Kaito doesn’t say anything back. The more he lets Kokichi goad him, the more likely it is their spat will escalate and he’ll end up wringing the rat bastard’s skinny little neck, and Shuuichi wouldn’t want that. Kaito doesn’t really want it, either, especially not after he just rolled out of bed.

He pushes open the door to their bedroom so hard that it collides with the wall, prompting Shuuichi to jump at his desk with an almost comical squeak and nearly drop the papers he was sifting through. He shoots Kaito an irritated frown, face pink, and huffs, “Don’t do that. You’re going to damage the wall again.”

“Sorry,” Kaito grumbles. “He’s just- he’s really testing me this morning, y’know? Like he wants to pick a fight, knowing that he’s already pissed me off.”

Shuuichi sighs. “I don’t know what you expect me to do about that.”

“I don’t know, just-” Kaito drags his fingers through his hair and lets them curl, giving it a short, vexed tug. “Tell him that if he’s really sorry he could at least stand to act a little sincere for once in his life. I’m getting real sick of him pulling shit like that and thinking nothing of it.”

“Kaito.” Shuuichi tucks his papers neatly into a folder and looks up at him tiredly. “I understand your frustration, but what’s stopping you from telling Kokichi all of this yourself?”

“You know he never listens to me,” Kaito says.

Shuuichi purses his lips. “I couldn’t tell you for certain why he does what he does,” he admits. “But… he likes it better when people are honest, so I feel like that might help your case.”

Kaito’s only reply to that is dumbfounded silence.

“I’m leaving,” Shuuichi continues. He leans up to plant a quick peck on Kaito’s cheek. “Take some time to clear your head, okay? Go out and get some fresh air if you need to. You can’t stay mad at each other forever.”

Shuuichi is right. Somewhere, deep down, Kaito knows that Shuuichi’s right. He usually is, and Kaito thinks he hates it almost as much as he thinks he hates Kokichi sometimes.

He doesn’t know what to do with himself after Shuuichi’s gone, but he does know that anything’s better than being trapped in their small apartment all day with only Kokichi for company, and that’s as good of an excuse as any to head out on his own.

\------

Kaito had found the small chestnut bonsai sitting on the balcony the evening before, its leaves shriveled from the residual heat of the midday sun. He hadn’t put it there. Shuuichi couldn’t have put it there, because like Kaito, he’d been at work all day. That left only one person who could have done it.

Kaito was quick to confront Kokichi about it, all but shoving the husk of the plant in his face and demanding an explanation, and Kokichi had just smiled innocently and let a sarcasm-saturated apology roll off of his tongue.

Kaito isn’t concerned with the excuses Kokichi had put forth to stave off his yelling. Whether it’s true that Kokichi was cleaning their room and simply put the plant out because it looked like it could use some sun - though he’s willing to bet that it isn’t, because Kokichi never does any chores without quite a bit of persuasion - isn’t important. No, what bothers him even now is Kokichi’s attitude, as though whether it was really an accident doesn’t matter because one way or another he just doesn’t _care_.

He mulls this over from his perch on a park bench, drinking boba because it gives his mouth something to do besides grit his teeth. When he lets the straw slip from between his lips it’s with a sigh, and he tilts his face up to the sky as he’s prone to do in respite. There are more clouds out today than there were yesterday, but they still catch the light of the sun as it sinks under the weight of the late hour, glowing rose and gold and vermilion.

He tells himself that he isn’t being that unreasonable. After all, he’s been ridiculously patient with Kokichi up to this point. Kokichi flushes the toilet while he’s trying to shower and draws on his face whenever he takes nap on the couch and pours soda on his other house plants, and Kaito puts up with all of it. But he’s tired of being treated like a joke, enough that Kokichi thinks nothing of ruining his possessions.

He doesn’t hate Kokichi. Sometimes he can trick himself into thinking that he does, and that he’s only putting up with him for Shuuichi’s sake, but in the end he’s deluding himself. Sure, he wishes Kokichi were more honest, easier to talk to, easier to put up with. But he doesn’t hate him. He couldn’t possibly hate him.

He gets to his feet. His lips release the flimsy plastic of the straw to reveal that it’s been chewed nearly flat.

He’s already poked around the shops in town, seen a bad movie on impulse, and taken a stroll through the park. There are other ways he could preoccupy himself and delay his return home, but he decides against doing anything else. If Shuuichi isn’t off work by the time he gets back, then Kaito wagers that he will be soon.

And he’s right. Shuuichi and Kokichi sit at the dining table, and Shuuichi waves to Kaito and informs him that he brought home dinner and a new plant. Something bitter simmers in the back of Kaito’s throat at that, and he bites his lip to hold it down, even as Kokichi smiles at him with cold eyes.

“Thanks,” he says, turning to head for their room, “but I’m not hungry.”

\------

Shuuichi, Kaito, and Kokichi all share a bed. There usually aren't many problems with this, save for the fact that Kaito snores and takes up the better half of the queen-sized mattress on his own.

Tonight, however, all of the earlier tension has resurfaced and hangs over them thicker than the comforter they all tuck themselves under. Shuuichi lies on his back in the center, and Kaito and Kokichi take up posts on either side of him and continue to glare at each other with only their partner and the darkness of the room to act as a buffer.

The quiet stretches itself out for longer than Kaito can be bothered to keep track. He's tired, and he's sure that Kokichi must be tired, too, but neither seem willing to relent and let sleep claim them, not until they've made a point. Kokichi makes stupid faces at Kaito, and Kaito responds by baring his teeth and flipping him off. Kokichi sneers, and Kaito’s eyes narrow. It's all he can do not to lunge over Shuuichi to strangle the smaller boy.

Suddenly, the sheets rustle between them. Shuuichi wordlessly sits up and grabs his own pillow, then wriggles out from beneath the covers and clambers over Kaito with it under his arm. He shuffles out of the room, shoulders slumped with exhausted annoyance. The click of the door shutting behind him resonates too loud through the room that now feels too empty.

Kokichi clicks his tongue and that feels too loud, too. “Wow, nice going, Kai-chan.”

“Wha- what the fuck did I do?” Kaito splutters.

“You totally scared Shuuichi off. There was no way he was gonna be able to sleep with you glaring over him like that.”

“I wasn't glaring _at_ him,” Kaito protests. “Besides, you were doing it, too!”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I don't make such scary faces.” Kaito's lip curls, and Kokichi exclaims, “Ah! Like that! Scary!”

“Yeah? Well, maybe I wouldn’t be so ‘scary’ if you weren’t pissing me off all the time,” Kaito says. “I mean, at least I don’t go around messing with people’s shit.”

“Are we really still on this?” Kokichi lets out an exaggerated yawn. “How boring.”

“Why wouldn’t I be mad about it? You killed my plant and acted like it was nothing!”

“I already told you, it’s not like I did it on purpose,” Kokichi scoffs. “Besides, it was just a plant. Shuuichi got you a new one, so there’s no point in making such a big fuss about it anymore, right?”

Kaito’s fists ball in the sheets. “He shouldn’t have had to do that. And it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t, anyway, because that tree was a parting gift from my grandma.”

Kaito swears he sees Kokichi roll his eyes at that. “You’re making it sound like she’s dead and can never give you anything else ever again.”

“That isn’t the fucking point!” Kaito snaps. “You’re so… so…” He struggles to articulate a cutting enough insult.

Kokichi hums. “Clever? Funny? Sooo adorable that you just wanna eat me up?”

“Fucking annoying,” Kaito spits in response. “I don’t know how the hell Shuuichi puts up with you when all you do is get on everyone’s nerves. You lie constantly, you go around causing problems, and you get your kicks seeing how much you can wind people up until they snap. It’s like- it’s like you want me to hate you!”

Silence blankets them again, and Kaito breathes hard through his nose. When Kokichi finally speaks up again, his voice is quiet. “Well? Do you hate me?”

“I…” Kaito stops and closes his eyes, letting his teeth sink into his tongue until he tastes the faint tang of iron. It’s a grounding feeling. He hopes it’s enough to keep him from saying something stupid.

Kokichi doesn’t let him get that far, though. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” he says. Kaito opens his eyes again, and he can see the faint gleam of Kokichi’s teeth in the sliver of moonlight bleeding in through the curtains. “But for it to come up over something so petty… I thought you were better than that.”

“I don’t hate you,” Kaito says, voice hard. “Idiot. You just piss me off sometimes.”

Kokichi raises an eyebrow. “Only sometimes?”

“A lot of the time,” Kaito corrects himself. “Whatever. And it’s not just because of the bullshitting and the stupid pranks. It’s because you act like everything is a goddamn game. And me? Well, I’m just a fucking joke.”

“If life’s not a game, then what is it?” Kokichi asks. It’s rhetorical, of course it is, because Kokichi likes to be a smartass. “I like to have fun. Messing with you is fun. That’s all there is to it.”

Kaito’s tongue is already preparing several more barbs to throw at him, but then Kokichi’s smile starts to fade.

“That last part is a lie, though,” he says. “But… I wasn’t lying when I apologized, you know. Or when I said I didn’t mean to kill your plant.”

Kaito waits. He expects the shit-eating grin to reappear within seconds. He expects another teasing jab, mocking him for falling for that. It never comes. Kokichi’s gaze doesn’t falter.

Finally, he releases a deep breath. “Fine. I guess… I guess I was a little harsh, anyway.”

Kokichi blinks at Kaito, violet eyes wide and shimmering. “So you forgive me, then?”

“Yeah,” Kaito says, glancing away in something like embarrassment. “S’fine, let’s just… put this shit behind us, yeah?”

“Oh, I’m so glad!” Kokichi dramatically rolls closer and attaches himself to Kaito’s side. “I just don’t know what I’d do if you really did hate me, Kai-chan!”

Kaito snorts and rolls his eyes, but after a few seconds he loops one arm around Kokichi to hold him back.

Kokichi’s small body goes rigid against his, and in a matter of moments he’s prying himself away and scooting back to the opposite side of the bed. “Actually,” he says, his back to Kaito, “I changed my mind. I don’t wanna cuddle with you, you stink.”

“What?!” Kaito sniffs under one arm, even though he knows damn well that he took a shower earlier, and huffs, “Fuck you, I do _not_ -”

Then he stops. Curled beneath part of the blanket on the very far edge of the mattress, Kokichi appears smaller than ever, and it hits Kaito then that Kokichi isn’t creating this rift between them out of disgust. He keeps Kaito at arm’s length, locking the two of them in a precarious dance and only pulling him closer to step on his toes before twirling out of reach again, because he’s afraid. It’s frustrating, yet it’s understandable that a serial liar would so loathe the notion of vulnerability.

Maybe that gives them at least one thing in common, then.

“... You know what, fine. Whatever,” he mumbles. “‘Night, ‘Kichi.”

There’s a pause before he hears a quiet “‘Nighty night, Kai-chan,” in return. For once, he doesn’t hate the way the nickname sounds.

\------

Kaito awakens the next morning to a weight on his chest and the sound of the bedroom door creaking open. He rubs the sleep sand from his eyes and glances up as Shuuichi pokes his head in, looking like he just woke up himself.

“Are you two-” he starts, only to freeze mid-sentence, mouth half-open in astonishment. “Oh.”

Kaito follows Shuuichi’s line of sight down to the source of his surprise. At some point during the night, Kokichi ended up with his upper body half hanging off of Kaito’s torso and his legs tangled in the sheets. It’s such a direct contrast to his behavior the night prior that he’s not sure what to make of this development.

Shuuichi clearly isn’t, either. “Um. Should I…?”

Kaito studies Kokichi briefly - the subtle rise and fall of his chest, the uncharacteristic serenity etched into his soft features, the way his hair pokes out every which way and sticks to his face. It’s unusual to see him so genuinely at ease. Unconsciously, a smile starts to pull on Kaito’s lips, and when he meets Shuuichi’s eyes again he lifts his index finger to them with a shake of his head.

An awed sort of grin forms on Shuuichi’s own face, and he nods in understanding. “I’ll go make breakfast,” he says, retreating with as little noise as possible, and Kaito lets his head flop back onto the pillow.

He’s sure that when Kokichi stirs, their routine will pick back up. Kokichi will push him away and yell for Shuuichi and accuse him of all sorts of unsavory things. They’ll pretend for another day that they can’t stand each other because that’s the only way they know how to love each other.

In the meantime, however, he’ll enjoy this peace while it lasts.


End file.
